Psychosocial morbidity in acromegaly: a study from India.
To study the psychosocial profile of patients of acromegaly in a developing country setting. Seventeen patients with acromegaly underwent a cross-sectional assessment regarding their socio-demographic and clinical profile, life events, social support, coping, dysfunction, quality of life and psychiatric morbidity. Seventeen demographically matched healthy participants (free from psychological morbidity) acted as the control group. The acromegaly group had predominance of urban married males (64.7%) with mean age 36.05 +/- 17.06 years (range = 15-61), and mean duration of illness of 36.05 +/- 42.5 (range = 4-240) months. Six subjects (i.e., GHQ-positive group) scored positive (indicating presence of psychiatric morbidity) on the General Health Questionnaire-12 giving a psychiatric morbidity rate of 33.33%, with five fulfilling an ICD-10 diagnosis. Compared to the GHQ-negative group, the GHQ-positive group had more number of life events in the entire lifetime, used significantly more number of emotional coping strategies, had more dysfunction, and poorer quality of life (in domains of physical health, social relationship, and general well-being). Psychiatric morbidity occurs in a significant percentage of patients with acromegaly. Presence of psychiatric morbidity is associated with dysfunction and poorer quality of life.
Mattoo
Surendra Kumar
SK
Department of Psychiatry, Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, 160012, India. skm_ddtc@glide.net.in
Bhansali
Anil Kumar
AK
Gupta
Nitin
N
Grover
Sandeep
S
Malhotra
Ramma
R
D000172:Acromegaly / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009017:Morbidity; D011788:Quality of Life; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult